Autism Is Now Believed To Affect 1 In Every 166 People

What is Autism

Autism is a developmental disability that affects, often

severely, a person's ability to communicate and socially

interact with others. It is four times more prevalent in

males than females.

Currently, autism is believed to affect 1 in every 166

people. The rate of people being diagnosed with autism

has increased substantially over the past two decades.

Although this may be in part due to improved diagnostic

techniques and to changes in the criteria for autism

spectrum disorders, the majority of experts agree these

changes are not enough to explain the epidemic rates at

which autism is being diagnosed.

Autism Spectrum Disorders is an umbrella term that includes

classic autism (also known as Kanner's autism or Kanner's

syndrome), Asperger's syndrome, and pervasive developmental

disorder (PDD).

Autism is considered a spectrum disorder because the number

and intensity of the symptoms people with autism display

may vary widely. However, all people with autism

demonstrate impairments in the following three areas:

communication, social relationships and restricted

patterns of behavior.

The spectrum ranges from those who are severely affected,

less able, and dependent on others to those who are of

above-average intelligence and independent, yet lacking

in social skills.

What Causes Autism?

Unfortunately, no one knows the answer. This is one of the

primary missions of

Cure Autism Now to fund the crucial and

necessary research to discover the cause of autism, in

order to design effective treatments and, eventually, find

a cure.

Here is what is known so far:

There is a genetic predisposition for autism spectrum

disorders.

Some brain circuits are different in a person with autism.

Serotonin, a neurotransmitter important for normal brain

functioning and behavior, has been found to be elevated

in a subgroup of people with autism.

Some children with autism and related disorders have

biochemical and immunological problems.

Many experts in the field of autism - for example

Dr. Edward Ritvo of the University of California

Los Angeles - theorize that there exists a genetic

predisposition to autism spectrum disorders.

This predisposition, perhaps encoded within a certain gene,

interacts with an as-yet-unknown environmental factor or

factors and causes alterations to the immune system, the

sensory nervous system, the brain and often the

gastrointestinal tract as well. These changes then cause

the affected person to exhibit the symptoms of autism.

Autism Does Not Discriminate

Last year I went on a 5K walk at Dodger Stadium in Los

Angeles benefiting Cure Autism Now. I saw thousands of

children, their families and friends that are affected in

one way or another by autism.

There were people from all walks of life, professional

people like athletes, lawyers, doctors and people you see

everyday in your own community. People with children that

have autism, all getting together to raise money to help

find a cure.

Before the walk, I received a letter from a mother whose 4

year old son Danny has autism. She was asking for donations

and letting people know about the Cure Autism Now second

annual Walk-A-Thon.

After reading her letter, I had a better understanding of

not only what autism was, but what parents and the children

with autism go through on a daily basis. Below is part of

that letter. I think after reading it, you will be more

understanding as I was.

Start of letter

It's Walk-a-Thon time! A year has passed so quickly. I

want to share with you the progress that Danny has made.

He is amazing. A year ago he couldn't even tell me he

loved me. Now, when I say "I love you Danny" he yells

back "I love you more!!!" I waited so long to hear those

words. But what is so difficult is the fact that he doesn't

know what the words mean. He says them from memory. It's

like a recording. Every time I say I love you... he

automatically responds with the same answer, which is very

common with most autistic children.

I ask him what he did in school each day and he can tell

me bits and pieces, but he also repeats the same thing

everyday or tells me what they did a month ago.

Autistic children have amazing memories. He can take a brand

new puzzle, dump all the pieces off the board, pick up any

piece without hesitation and put it in it's proper place

without even thinking. His mind is incredible.

I wake up in the mornings wondering what kind of day Danny

is going to have, and I pray that it's a good one. He is

extremely sensitive to his surroundings. If things don't

go in the same pattern that he is used to, he flips

out...screaming and kicking.

I still find myself in denial sometimes. When we are out in

public, I try to do everything in my power to make sure

Danny gets his way, as to not cause a scene.

I remember one Friday, I wanted to take a special day and

make it "all about Danny," I was going to take him to an

indoor playground. It was pouring rain that Friday, but we

trampled through the parking lot and into the playground

and took off our shoes.

Danny wanted to play the video game and another little boy

also wanted to play. Danny doesn't do well when other

people are in his space, so he started screaming at the top

of his lungs, threw himself on the floor kicking me and

anything else that got in his way.

I tried to pick him up but he was kicking so hard I could

barely lift him. Every mother and child in the place was

staring at me. I tried to calm him, but his screams got

louder, as they always do when you try to reason with him.

As I carried Danny to the bathroom to get him away from

everyone else, I heard one of the moms say to her

friend..."I wish she would shut that kid up!!!" I couldn't

help but break into tears.

We didn't even last five minutes in public. I grabbed our

shoes in one hand, Danny in the other and ran to the car

in my socks in the pouring rain. I just sat in my car and

cried.

I wish that woman could spend just ONE day in the life of

Danny. I sometimes want to wear a sign around my neck that

say "My child is autistic, please excuse the excessive

noise."

Despite Danny's outbursts...he has made incredible

progress. He is talking so much. Almost too much. (just

kidding) He can write his name all on his own and is

starting to sing songs(which he would never do before) He

is a very expressive little boy...

End of letter.

After reading that letter, now when I see a child

screaming and kicking in a store or someplace, and we all

have, I think that the child may be autistic. It made me

realize that it's not the child's or the parents fault and

I should be more understanding.

The number of autistic cases is rising faster than we can

count, but progress is being made. At Cure Autism Now,

they are currently funding more than 15 research projects

examining the causes of autism. You can go to Danny's page

at Cure Autism Now and you will see a picture of Danny,

who is 5 years old now and his father at last years

Walk-A-Thon. You can donate what you can, learn more about

autism and find out where there might be a Walk-A-Thon in

your area.

Danny's page

Thank you,

About The Author

Paul Bittle is the owner of [http://www.bitsnwits.com] an information web site with free articles and free courses. Also, for Danny's page you can go to Bits N Wits home page and look for Special Announcement.